Don't You Remember
by gargz
Summary: Finn never felt tethered to Quinn, but he did to Rachel. He makes a decision and goes for it.Takes place directly after Finn breaks up with Quinn.2x21 Funeral. Finchel


**Don't You Remember**

**Summary: Takes place the moment after Finn breaks up with Quinn in Funeral**

**Note: Just a moment that popped into my head after watching Quinn walk away and Finn watching Rachel. **

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><p>Finn sat in his truck watching Quinn walk away. His eyes immediately landed on the flash of red that exited out of the funeral home. His eyes trailed upward the red purse was attached to a shoulder, the shoulder of the girl where all his problems and solutions lie.<p>

Before he could stop himself he called out her name. She looked up confused before her eyes focused on his. He popped his head out the window and gestured for her to come over. She hesitated for a minute before she moved toward him.

"Can I give you a ride home?" Finn asked, Rachel looked shocked and confused.

"What about Quinn?" She asked concerned that the ex cheerleader wasn't in the car considering she was the first one to leave the rest room. "She's getting another ride." Finn said barely giving a reason.

Rachel hesitated again, she looked over her shoulder at Sam who was her ride, he just nodded his head to go ahead, and she acknowledged it and made her way around to the passenger side.

Once in the car and seat belts fastened Finn started his truck and exited the parking lot. They were both silent, just the gentle hum of the radio could be heard.

"Do you have to be home right away?" Finn asked breaking the silence. Rachel, who was looking out the window, turned her head at his question. "Uh no. Why?" She asked.

"I kind of just want to drive around, is that okay? Or do you want me to drop you off?" Finn asked. Rachel was quiet again not giving Finn an answer, just staring at him.

"What's going on Finn? Where's Quinn?" She asked gently.

Finn sighed, "I broke up with her." He said with no hesitance.

"Oh I'm sorry Finn; I know how much she meant to you." Rachel said sympathetically.

Finn just shook his head. "You know when Mr. Schue was reading Coaches speech and he said that loving someone is like being tethered to them? Being able to always know and feel when they're around?" Rachel nodded her head in understanding, but remained silent.

"I never felt that way with Quinn, not really. I made a mistake with Quinn." Rachel sat in silence, trying hard to concentrate on his words and her feelings. "I got back together with her thinking that I could fix everything from last year. If I got back together with Quinn then we would be popular again and people would remember who I was before Glee, before…you." Finn stated looking at Rachel, but she had her head turned facing the window.

"But I realized that I don't want to be that guy. I love Glee and I like the friends I've made in it. I don't care about being popular or Prom King, none of that means anything. I hurt a lot of people when I got back together with Quinn, what I did to Sam," Finn shook his head in disgust. "But more importantly what I did to you." At his confession Rachel finally turned her head in his direction. Before he could continue he pulled into a parking lot.

"Come on, I want ice cream." He said and they silently exited the car and made their way across the parking lot. Finn held the door open for Rachel, and she thanked him quietly as they made their way to the counter.

"What can I get you two?" The young barista asked. Without hesitating Finn answered, "I will have one Vegan Strawberry Short Cake in a cup and one Mint Chocolate Chip in a waffle cone." Finn made his way to the register and handed the other barista the money. He smiled over at Rachel, she ducked her head blushing.

Together they exited the store and made their way to the bench located outside. "How is it?" Finn asked smiling. "Fabulous." Finn just made a face.

"I can't believe you remembered my order." Rachel said smiling softly. Finn smiled back at her shrugging his shoulders.

"How could I forget, this place is the only place in Lima that serves Vegan ice cream and you have to be the only person who orders strawberry short cake, such a boring flavor." Finn teased her.

Rachel blushed again, "Strawberry short cake is not a boring flavor and it would be statistically impossible for me to be the _only_ one who eats this flavor. And if it were true then this ice cream would almost be five months old and completely uneatable." She finished and laughed at Finn's confused face.

"How did you calculate that it would be exactly five months old?" Finn asked. The smile from Rachel's face disappeared and she concentrated on her ice cream. In a soft voice she answered, "I knew it would be five months old, because that's about the time we broke up." The realization of her words finally donned on Finn and he too looked away.

They remained in silence again before Rachel broke it, "anyways you're just upset because you can't admit that you actually really like this flavor but refuse to acknowledge that Vegan ice cream could be good." She said playfully.

"I will never admit to it, never." Finn said back chuckling at their playfulness; it was so easy with Rachel.

They continued to eat in a comfortable silence together on the bench. Their silence was interrupted by Rachel's cell ringing. She excused herself and took the phone call.

Finn sat there watching Rachel as she talked on the phone, most likely to her father. He looked over his shoulder at the freeway and noticed a sign. He looked down at this watch and saw that it was almost dinner time. The ice cream was good but it wasn't enough to fill him up and he was sure it didn't do much for Rachel.

Quickly he got out his phone and dialed the familiar number. Just as he finished with his phone call Rachel was making her way back toward him.

"Your Dad?" Rachel nodded her head. "Do you have to be home?" Finn asked hoping she said no.

"No he just wanted to know where I was, why do you have somewhere to be?" Rachel asked also hopeful he would say no. Disappointment was evident on her face when he replied, "Yeah I do." He silently picked up their trash and threw it out before making his way toward his truck.

"Well come on, we're going to be late." Finn said smiling over the passenger door. Rachel let out a sigh of relief and made her way to the truck. "That's not very nice to tease." Rachel said playfully. Finn just laughed.

They continued on the road again, enjoying the comfortable silence. "So where are we going?" Rachel asked.

"You'll see." Finn answered smiling over at her confused face. He was giving nothing up and she knew that and it was making her nervous. Finn just laughed again at the confused face Rachel was making.

Finally they arrived at destination one. Finn told Rachel to remain in the car, as he ran into the take out area of Breadsticks, exiting a few minutes later with two bags of food. Rachel was really confused as to what he was planning.

Finn entered his truck and placed the food between the two of them. Smiling at Rachel he put the truck into drive and they continued on their way. Twenty minutes later they arrived at their final destination.

Rachel smiled recognizing where Finn had taken her. Lima had exactly one outdoor drive in movie theatre and it was Rachel's favorite place to be in the summer. Last summer when they were dating every Saturday was their officially date night, and it was almost always here.

Finn looked over at Rachel and smiled brightly at her. They were about an hour early for the next viewing so Finn parked his truck with the trunk toward the screen, grabbed the blankets that he had forgotten to take out and set up a nice picnic in the cab of his truck.

They ate silently watching as people started to make their way in, laughing at the little kids running around and admiring the older couples walking hand in hand in the beautiful spring air. When they were finished eating Finn cleaned up all the garbage.

"Thanks for dinner Finn, and the ice cream and for bringing me here, I love this place." Rachel smiled up at him. Finn nodded and smiled back at her. His smile faded slowly as he continued to look out in front of him.

"I'm sorry." Finn said softly. Rachel looked up at him confused. "For what?" She asked.

Finn was silent for a minute, "for the way I treated you after we broke up, for getting back together with Quinn." Finn said. Rachel just shook her head.

"Its fine, it's in the past and we've both moved on." Finn looked confused when Rachel said that they've moved on, he wasn't sure what that meant.

"It's not okay Rach. I was such an ass about the whole thing. I was hurting and jealous after we broke up and I just wanted to feel…to feel anything than what I was feeling. That's why I went back to Quinn. It was just easier to go back to her and concentrate on making her feel good. The whole thing was a disaster and I'm sorry for it." Finn finished looking down at Rachel.

She just shook her head, "Finn we both made mistakes, big ones, ones I'm sure we wish we could take back, but we can't. So now it's about moving forward." She said placing her hand gently on his thigh. "Now let's be quiet the movie is starting." Just like that the conversation was over.

Finn had more to say, a lot more. But Rachel wanted to watch the movie and he wasn't going to say no. About half way through the movie the weather started to change and the temperature started to drop. After watching Rachel's shoulders shack for the fifth time he grabbed the blanket he was sitting on, stood up and placed it around her shoulders. "Thank you. I didn't think it would get this cold out." She said wrapping the blanket tighter around her.

Finn knew that they had a lot to still talk about, and he honestly didn't know if Rachel wanted to be with him again, but he wanted her. Another shudder ran through her body and she looked over her should at Finn still crouched behind her. "You're going to be cold now, take the blanket back I'm okay." Rachel said as she made a move to remove the blanket wrapped around her. Finn's hand shot out gripping hers, stopping her from removing the blanket.

"I'll be okay." He said softly their faces mere inches from each other. Keeping their eyes locked Finn slowly lowered himself onto the truck bed moving his legs on either side of Rachel's. Scooting close he hesitantly put his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

"Is this okay." Finn asked his voice barely above a whisper. He felt Rachel's head nodding against his chest. When the movie ended they disentangled themselves and silently packed everything up.

Parking in her driveway at 11:15, Finn got out and made his way around to the passenger side door, opening it for Rachel. She smiled up at him, thanked him for the lovely evening and made her move toward the door.

"Wait" Finn said, Rachel turned around slowly as Finn made his way toward her. He dragged a hand through his hair and down his face.

"Look…I…hmm." Finn sighed frustrated that he couldn't get his words out. "I want to be with you...again." There he said it; the shocked look on Rachel's face was anything but comforting at the moment.

"I want to try again and I wanted to ask you in way that didn't sound as lame as that just did, and in a way that I know you wouldn't immediately say no to. But I'm not that great with words and I know I would've just messed it up. But I needed to ask so I did." He breathed in deeply.

"I know I messed up, we both did. But I know that we can do this, I know that this time we'll make it. I broke every promise I made you last year, but this time will be different, this time I'm different." Finn continued, Rachel just remained quiet too shocked to say anything.

"I don't know what's going on with you and Jesse," Finn said in disgust that just caused Rachel to roll her eyes. "And I don't care, because if there is any chance that you want to be with me then I promise you that I will fight for you and I won't give up, not again."

Finn took a step toward Rachel coming closer into her and grabbed her hands in his, gently running his thumb over her hand. "I know that we have a lot to deal with, Nationals next week and all, so don't say anything yet just take your time and do what you have to do. But just know that I am here, I'm not going anywhere I won't ever make that mistake again." Slowly he bent down and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek.

He said goodnight and made his way back to his truck. Once he was sure Rachel was safely inside he made his way home, a big smile on his face. He needed to get home and talk to Kurt he had some ideas and he wanted Kurt to approve them. Nationals in New York is going to be the best trip Finn decided, and he knew exactly how to do it.


End file.
